marshall



@uiten glatte sfrnt @Hirn IMPBOVBD DITHING'MAGHNE.

J. MARSHALL, LOGKPQRT, AND 0. E. SOMERSET, .N i Letters Patent No. 60,025, dated November 27, 18646.

SPECIFICATION.

T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN t Beit known that we, JOSEPH H. MARSHALL, of Lockport, and OSCAR E. MANN, of Somerset, both in" Niagara county, and State of New York,.lhave invented a certain new and improved Ditchingland Excavating Machine; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in whicht Figure 1 is a side elevation of ourimproved machine.

Figure 2, a front elevation of the same; and

Figure-3 is a detached inner view of one of the levers, K, and some of the connecting *parts and gearing, byV which the excavator is raised and lowered, shown in a reverse position from that in g. 1.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parte in all' the figures. i

Our improvements are designed more expressly to be used as a ditchingmachine, but it is also capable of beingemployed for the purpose of excavating generally; and the invention consists in the special combination and arrangement of its various parts, as hereafter specified.

In the drawings, A A represent the lower, main, and horizontal portion of the frame, of rectangular or other o suitable form, and A A the upper portion inclined backward and properly supported at therear by posts or `braces from the frame A. B B are two main supporting-wheels at the front end of the machine; and C a caster-wheel,

pivoted at the centre of the rear cross-timber of the frame, so as to enable the machinetobe turned about, and is designed to run in the ditch as it is being dug, as will presently be explained. Djis the elevator, which inclines` upward and backward centrally within the frame, A', and is 4'provided with the endless belt, F, and a cutter-` point o1' share, E, secured to its lower end. The excavator may be of any suitable construction, so as to form` the necessary way for the belt F, and itsbuckets, a a, to operate in; and it may be secured at `its, lower end to the front of frame A by the brace', q, and may be generally'supported within frames A A in any desirable and proper manner. The belt, F, passes around ordinary rollers or pulleys at'the lower and upper end of the ele-` vater, theupper rollerV being mounted on a horizontal shaft, c, which has its bearing in ends of the frame, A Ai 4The buckets, aa, maybe'of any construction suitable for receiving the earth from the share, iE, and conveying;

it Vtothe top ofthe elevator, where it is discharged at the apexof two inclined chutes or spouts, H H, which conduct. the same toeither side of the ditch, as clearly shown. These chutes are attached at' their top `to the i jframe of the elevator, and are supported at their lower ends by arms or braces, s, secured tofand extending from the frame, A, Theforward end of the machine is supported, raised, andlowered in the following manner:

In the detached and'reversed view, (hg.` 3,) K represents a lever, having a right-angular arm, g,-.and connecting portion or brace, h, and also gear-wheels, d,.e,f. The Wheels, d, are rigidly secured to the inner ends-of the hubs of wheels, B B, which turn on short axes, r r, extending outward from the arms, g. A horizontal shaft, b, (shown most clearlyin dotted lines, fig. 2,) is mounted transversely in the frame, A, and extendsfoutwardV at each end, passing loosely through YK, g, at their junction, and the gear-wheels, f f, and having rigidly secured i atits extremities ratchetwheels, m m, with which engage pawls n n, pivoted to the gears ff, when the machine is advancing, but which slip over'the ratchetswhen the machine'is retrograding, as in Vbacking or turningaround.

Curved springs, o o, press upon the pawls and keep them engaged with ratchet-wheels, as shown most clearly in fig. 1.- To each side of the frame, A, is secured a toothed segment, I, having for its centre the axis, b,.with which engage the pinions, z', mounted on the levers K, The pinions, z', are fastened in any position ou the seg; ments, I, hy'means of spring-catches, k c, jointed to the outer side of the levers, and having each a point ,which extends through the levers and between the teeth of the pinions, shown clearly iugs. 3 and 2L A band, G, passing over suitable pulleys, communicates motion from theaxis, b, to the horizontal shaft, c, which in its turn imparts motion tothe elevating belt, P is a pole by which the machine is drawn or guided.` o

Our machine, thus constructed, is operated as follows: The machine, in the position'l shown in black lines, p iig. "l, having the plough or cutter, E, elevated, is drawn'to the point where the ditching is to commence; then,

by raising the levers, K, the forward end of the machine, and with it the excavator, is lowered ltll the point or scoop, E, comes in contact with ther ground,'and so as to cut a certainV depth, which willvary according to the i nature and resistance of the soil, while the caster-,wheel follows in the ditch. -The pinions,/', being then secured by the pawls, lc, 'the machine is ready for operating. As the machine is drawn along, the wheels` B, and pinionsd, secured thereto, impart motion to the two sets of gearing, e, f, on each side, when the pawls, n, engaging with ratchet-wheelsl, m, give `motion'to the axis, b, which is transmitted by means of belt G and. shaft c to the `endi less belt of the elevator, as before described. The buckets, a, as the belt revolves, take the' dirt as it is scooped.

up by E, and carry it up over the top of theA elevator and into the inclined chutes, H.,Y which discharge it on either side of the ditch.- `In turning around or backing, tbe movement of the gearing is reversed, when the pawls, n, slip over the ratchets, leaving the axis, b, andother connecting parts of the apparatus, at rest... The

machine is drawn successively .back and forth over theditch, the plough being lowered eacli'time,-as before described, till thexcavation has reached the required depth. Although more especially designed for ditching purposes, it is evident that our machine may be employed for the more general purposes of an excavator, by providing a truck on each side to receive theearth as it is discharged from' the chutes, H H, and convey it away.

The advantages of ourjimprovements are as follows: The machine is very manageable, light, and of easy draught. The castor-wheel, by following in the ditch, forms, in connection with the scoop, E, a guide to the direc-V tion of the machine and serves to keep it steady. The double-inclined chute, H, discharges the dirt upon each side beyond the track of the wheels and horses, which travel on each side of the ditch.

What we claim as our invention, and desire tn secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The triangular lever-frame, consisting of the parts K, g, h, hinged to the frame, A, and connecting with the axis of the .wheels B B, castor-wheel C, scoop E, in combination with the toothed segment I', pinion z',

and spring-pawl k, for supporting, raising, and 'lowering the frame A, arranged. and operating in the rnanner specied. K

2. We also claim the arrangement of the gearing, d, e, the latter provided with pawl n, with the axis b,

ratchet-wheel m, and belt Gr, operated by driving-wheels B B, for communicating motion to the endless b'elt F, substantially in the manner set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

i JOS. H. MARSHALL,

OSCAR E. MANN.

Witnesses: A

J. FRASER, y LYMAN P. PnnxxNs. 

